****
Lexi Belcufine: Local Band Comfort Tech A Hit With President Obama
Local rock ‘n’ roll band Comfort Tech can add “serenading and meeting President Barack Obama” to its list of accolades. The four band members and housemates happen to live a stone’s throw away from the Community College of Allegheny County’s West Hills Center, where the president and Vice President Joe Biden spoke Wednesday about federal funding for community college programs. When singer and guitarist Sean Conner, 24, realized POTUS and VPOTUS would be in their back yard, he said he knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But how to get the attention of the leaders of the free world? They made a red, white and blue banner reading “Welcome Mr. President!” and hung it on their porch, above the driveway-turned-stage. The plan was to be respectful and not disruptive, he said. As the motorcade drove by, Comfort Tech belted out an original, “Lumberjack.” “I definitely hit wrong notes because I was looking out in awe,” said bass player and singer Brett White, 25. “It was surreal. It’s not every day you get to play your music as the president drives by your house.”
In the back of his mind, he said he thought: “What if he actually comes over? But it was far-fetched as far as I was concerned.” Soon after, the Secret Service did show up. “We thought for sure we were going to get shut down,” Mr. Conner said, but they just wanted to tell the band how much they liked their music. While talking about gear, more unmarked cars and police arrived. “Who’s in the band?” they asked. Mr. Obama wanted to meet them. Before they even saw him, they heard the president saying, “Where’s Comfort Tech? Where’s the band?” After shaking hands and casually talking about the blues-influenced band’s music for a bit, Mr. Obama told them to send him their CD when it’s finished. “He said he wanted to come over and hear us play but the Secret Service wouldn’t let him,” Mr. White said. They were invited to stay for the speech, after which, as the crowd cheered, Mr. Obama pointed to the band in the audience and said, “All right, Comfort Tech,” with a smile and a thumbs up. In a room of the “most important people in Pittsburgh, among these highly respected individuals,” Mr. Conner said the band felt like it had an inside joke with the president.
More here
****
****
The Obama Diary 
Me
Tis indeed a “Good Friday” for me 🙂
Yay GGail! 🙂
Hey Dudette!!
Happy Good Friday Everyone!
Hi jojo!
Hi GGail! Happy Good Friday are you off work yet? Boy was it a gloomy day in SoCal.
No, I’m still here. And yes it has been a drizzly day – just enough to turn the dust on my car into mud pies.
Are you home for the day?
I work from home so I’ve been home all day. I live near the freeway and it’s been busy all day. Remember when companys used to let you go home in the afternoon on Fridays?
I know!
But of course, one of my bosses left for his Good Friday service. Did he ask me if I had a service to go to? No!
But I’m not bitter….no sir….
You work from home? You should come and have lunch with me one day
Oh man, to be that close to POTUS and VP!!!
The young man in the plaid shirt standing right next to PBO must be muttering all kinds of things in his mind – while reminding himself to try appear as calm/casual as possible and breathe…
And don’t pee on yourself…
exactly. 🙂 🙂 🙂
how coooooooooooooolllll 😎 is this…I loveeeee how PBO blames it on the Secret Service….lolololol
WOW 2nd…..Congrats on first fellow Cali GG!
http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/music/2014/04/18/Local-band-a-hit-with-the-president/stories/201404180114 Great story:)
Good Friday Everyone!
When these two are separated after their term comes to a successful ending, I can just imagine Joe’s calling Barack to say, “Did you hear the one about the priest, the minister, and the rabbi?” Laughter is the best medicine (against the GOP, too!).
President Obama is just the coolest and giving the band an email address to send him their stuff? That’s publicity one can’t buy. Priceless!
Day made, Comfort Tech. Day made.
What a delightful clip! Those young musicians have a lifetime memory and who knows what else may happen.
I say maybe TOD should tweet them to congratulate them……… would be great publicity for them
NW – Awww, thanks so much for finding this story. My mother grew up in a small town near Pittsburgh, as did my dad, so – for all I know – some of the band members could be distant relatives! Day made, in lots of ways.
Thanks, Ms. J’OB and yay to wonderful memories.
All I’m going to say is I hope the music sound good. I am waiting to hear these guys music. Can’t wait.
Maybe next time FLOTUS have the music event at the WH these group can be invited if they are any good.
Talk about an endorsement. It’s a good start for the group, I’d say.
Nothing like a good start! Welcome back, Sailor!
Good to be back.
Thank you Mr. President. I would love to see some Easter Sunday pics of our First Family. 🙂
Wow, this is just sooooooo lovely!! Thanks a gazilllllllion Nerdy!!
Anytime, mon ami. 🙂
https://twitter.com/jsimsromance/status/456040502089900032
Very important analysis and, given all I’ve observed, I think is the truth …
“The Russians can’t match NSA in money or technology (or in allies, he might have added). So Russia wants to drastically erode the American advantage in these things. And that, of course, is exactly the effect that Snowden’s disclosures have had. If he persuades Americans to turn against NSA’s foreign intelligence methods, or if he induces our allies to trim NSA’s wings, or if he gets American technology companies to refuse to help their country, then Russia’s lack of money, allies, and technology won’t matter as much.
To sum up, for the last several months, while living in Russia, Snowden has been putting forward a justification for his acts (a) that he knows is not true, since it doesn’t explain his actions, (b) that is approved at the highest levels by the Russian government and (c) that gravely harms the US and helps Russia in its confrontations with the US around the world.
I’ve said for a while that I thought the jury was out on whether Snowden is a traitor. Now I think I hear it filing in.
Who says you can’t learn anything watching Russia’s propaganda programs?”
Full text at link in tweet:
I’ve called him a traitor since his first appearance in Hong Kong and have observed nothing since to dissuade me from that assessment. Good to see others coming to that same conclusion. He can rot in Russia, but I’d sure love to see him prosecuted in the USA.
“It remains a mystery to this writer how Edward Snowden and Glenn Greenwald remain a hero to many. The parallel to the support freeloading Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy enjoys is unmistakable. It’s the tendency to quickly embrace someone because they disagree with the same thing you do. Domestic spying is bad so Snowden must be good. The federal government is evil so Bundy is clearly a patriot.
Let’s be clear, Snowden is no whistleblower. Instead of simply exposing the wrongdoings of the NSA, he and Greenwald decided to do what they accused the American government of doing. They took control of our personal and state secrets and are releasing them to advance their own interests. And now Snowden sits in Russia, his head full of state secrets and his heart full of distain for his home country. It’s time to stop lionizing this fugitive and start identifying him for what he is and what Putin clearly knows. Snowden is a spy and no friend to America or Americans.”
Full text in the tweet:
Bob, you’re being “scary good” again 🙂
😀
^5
Thank you for this article. Will read now.
I’ve noticed that the #Snowdenwald supporters on twitter seem to now be adopting the stance that #Snowden had no choice but to remain in Russia because the US revoked his visa. Their justification for #Snowden’s traitorous actions are getting thinner and thinner by the day.
Let’s see what happens during the summer, when #Snowden’s visa is up for renewal.
Eddie had a choice. He could have returned to the US and stood trial for his convictions. Instead he hightailed it to Hong Kong just before GG published, and then was smuggled into Moscow.
Exactly.
You completed the point that I meant to make.
Flame wars aren’t my thing, but I’m tempted to respond this simple solution to these dudebros.
Just can’t figure out why they believe he deserves to live a life in paradise (which is where he was living at the time he “decided” to go to those true traitors Greenwald and Poitras) after what he has done.
Bob, I am also convinced that Edward Snowden is a traitor. Under the Constitution (Article III, Sec.3), there are two categories of treason: “Levying war against ” the United States; or “giving… aid and comfort” to the enemies of the United States. Edward Snowden is “giving aid and comfort’ to the enemies of the United States. In my book, that makes him a traitor.
Agree, nath, and that is exactly how I’ve applied Article III, Sec 3 to Snowden. It would be very much out of character if our AG Holder isn’t pursuing legal action against Snowden, Greenwald, Poitras, at a minimum.
Wow, this is just too hideously cool. Imagine having this wild dream and then – BOOM, it happens straight out of the blue. Well, as PBO says, dream big dreams!
Looks like Americans are chopping on the bit for SPRING!
Over 4,000 RTs.
Example from this week:
For Apple hardware owners:
When Apple works, it freaking WORKS. No other computer system and brand touches Apple. It is the best bar none.
Their laptop and computer line are worth the thousands of dollars one plunks down at purchase. When I drop that kind of cash down, I expect the product to work and nine times out of ten, Apple steps up to the plate.
Good on them for foreseeing Heartbleed years ago and building their own security system while others were moseying around. Thanks for the article, Meta.
Thank you, meta. Actually, the folk who most need to read this report are Android users. Anyone at TOD with an Android device should scroll to the last paragraph and also click on the link in that paragraph and read the referenced Feb 2014 report.
I love the Obama White House something fierce.
They not only addressed the issue, noooo….they used it to educate people about immigration reform and why it needs to become law.
For the motherfreaking win.
Keep Justin Bieber, send Ted Cruz back to Canada.
I love this Comfort Tech meets President Obama story. PBO is always so cool in these kind of social encounters. And I liked the respect and awe shown the president by these young band guys. They took advantage of an advantageous situation, and it paid off—big time, more than they could have dared to hope.
Can I just tell you all how looking forward I am to 6pm? Heading home, putting on jammies, and doing a boatload of bupkis. My allergies are kicking my keister, and I’m all muddleheaded.
Love this story, a feel-good story for Good Friday!
I’m sure everyone involved is thriled beyond words about this week’s events near Pittsburgh. Great story, great tweets. Thanks, NW!
Wanted to let TODville know that I pushback on that idiot Cillizza, though I doubt he even reads responses (probably filters them out, which Twitter allows elite users to do).
Indonesia is on PBO’s itinerary this week, right?
I had no idea how GINORMOUS orangatuns are!
And look at him! He’s just so calm as the doctor works on him.
Look at the size of him, flippin’ heck!!!!!
And on to climate change… The IPCC report and the good news (which happened, of course, on President Obama’s watch — no coinicdence there):
For everyone who froze in the upper Midwest and East, remember how warm it was in Alaska this year. I’m thinking that the avalanche that tragically killed over a dozen sherpas was due to higher than usual temperatures (but haven’t researched, its just a hunch).
A most impressive & courageous letter ….
“The ruling regime of Russia has crossed the last line in its progressing immorality. Without declaring war, it has started military operations in Ukraine. In the beginning of this past March, the Russian army occupied Crimea, and now it is attempting to seize the southeastern part of your country. During these operations, the special operations paratroopers from Russia hide their nationality and their faces, acting as the “little green men.” This is a shame for any combat troops. It is a shame for Russia and her Armed Forces. Never before did Russian soldiers hide behind a human shield. Even today no Russian soldier would do that, but the regime forces him to commit crimes against his brothers and against his own honor and dignity.
In order to occupy Ukrainian land and to annex a part of Ukraine, the Russian authorities use absolutely false slogans, crying about alleged “cruel oppression” of the Russian-speaking citizens of Ukraine by the government in Kyiv. They also spread a lie that this past February, the power in Ukraine was usurped by Fascists and radical Banderite nationalists. We clearly understand that the former president of Ukraine Yanukovych, himself being a native of Eastern Ukraine, would never “oppress” his fellow Russian-speaking Eastern Ukrainians more than the people in the Western part of your country. He and his inner circle oppressed all Ukrainian citizens equally, by embezzling enormous sums of their money and turning the country that potentially was the richest in Europe into the country of paupers with no rights, sometimes forcing them to leave Ukraine and to look for a piece of bread abroad. We also very clearly realize that the government of today’s Ukraine in Kyiv, which was recognized by almost every country in the world, is not Fascist or ultra-Nationalist. This government started to manage Ukraine using a constant, ongoing dialogue with its citizens. It strives to make Ukraine a stable, democratic state.”
Full letter via link in the tweet:
Now if Eddie Money Snowden had published his screed in Pravda, then I might give him kudos.
Well, LL, we both know that everything that traitor does is scripted by his FSB handlers ….
I don’t think he wrote it
Oh, that’s a given.
I’m always a mile behind – but a day ahead 🙂
The irony is that Greenwald may actually have fried his fellow traitor’s butt by writing that screed. Can’t imagine #TzarVlad took it well.
Greenwald likely realized that Snowden playing the tool to Vlad did not play well even among many of their fans.
Everyone who meets him loves him – what a wonderful story
My world – it’s Easter Saturday B-B-Q day – having the 90 year old uncle the 19 months old grandbabe & a few in between.
BBQ has pork ribs, lamb & beef – green salad, sweet roma tomatoes and potato bake. Dessert is lemon pie and strawberries and cream.
OMG, you Easter dinner sounds fabulous. Here’s to a fun family gathering!
ty meta – and I’m gone to pick up the uncle 🙂
Just how deranged is right wing media ….
“Either Carney is really getting under their skin, or they’re just getting more deranged. Maybe it’s a bit of both.”
BOTH.
I just listened to the Comfort Touch interview with the reporter. Isn’t it great that people who meet the President always have ‘a good word’ to say about him! He never fails to put people at ease and they never fail to see his basic goodness.
Nerdy’s new post:
http://theobamadiary.com/2014/04/18/the-naval-academy-football-team-comes-to-the-white-house/